Cadets 2017

[wallace]

Crown's percussion was much better this year than in the past few seasons. Placement doesn't do what they did on the field this year justice. Much improved.

[wallace]

Tier 2 caption heads will never become tier 1 until given the opportunity.

[Tobias]

Crown's percussion was much better this year than in the past few seasons. Placement doesn't do what they did on the field this year justice. Much improved.

And many shows all season, they placed very high in percussion but buy INDY I think the scores/placements have pretty much been worked out. Sorry I know I'll get nailed for that but after years of watching this, you can read the tea leaves by two weeks before INDY.

[TheyMustBeGiants!]

And many shows all season, they placed very high in percussion but buy INDY I think the scores/placements have pretty much been worked out. Sorry I know I'll get nailed for that but after years of watching this, you can read the tea leaves by two weeks before INDY.

And at the last TOC show in Buffalo cadets were 1st in Percussiom and 2nd in Brass. I believe this is more indicative with where they most likely should have been. The brass line was no lower than 4th and percussion was Top 3 easily. Just IMO...

Edited August 26, 2016 by TheyMustBeGiants!

[Tobias]

And at the last TOC show in Buffalo cadets were 1st in Percussiom and 2nd in Brass. I believe this is more indicative with where they most likely should have been. The brass line was no lower than 4th and percussion was Top 3 easily. Just IMO...

Tell the "unbiased "DCI judges in INDY but agree. Edited August 26, 2016 by Tobias

[Tobias]

Unfortunately I think Tom Aungst's best days are way behind, he took the Crown gig to prove he could hang with the elite groups still. That wasn't proved last year! Only time will tell though.

Lots of BD staff is in their 60s! I don't think percussion gurus lose their edge. Design team if their not emerged in WGI maybe, but music is music.

[Liahona]

I believe it was much later than that, around 2010ish...

If that is the case then it would be Scott Lee Atchison fromt the Cavaliers in 2010...he also was the brass caption head for Troopers in 2009 when they finaly made it back into finals after a 23 year absence...I have no inside information...just basing this off of the information you've provided...

[TheyMustBeGiants!]

If that is the case then it would be Scott Lee Atchison fromt the Cavaliers in 2010...he also was the brass caption head for Troopers in 2009 when they finaly made it back into finals after a 23 year absence...I have no inside information...just basing this off of the information you've provided...

That's what I hear, I guess we'll know shortly. But I've heard several have declined for both Brass and Visual..

Edited August 26, 2016 by TheyMustBeGiants!

[Liahona]

That's what I hear, I guess we'll know shortly. But I've heard several have declined for both Brass and Visual..

[HNCadet]

Odd you write this . I saw a video - the corps song at the banquet yes. It was beautiful. And I have a friend who says there is a history night too? What is that ? And an initiation night. And at Allentown I saw the Holy Bass guys. There had to be 20 guys all cheering for the bass line. And I volunteered at Indy and I watched a talk George gave and he showed clips of the corps from 1980 to 2015. The kids went crazy for the Z pull and all kinds of stuff. Seems like the kids love the corps AND the history? When did Hopkins become director ? 1983 I believe. And after 34 years and a bunch of championships, you actually say he does not feel an attachment to the corps? How many kids marched with him as director? He might be a pain in the ### and I wish he would stop shouting for woodwinds but your comments make me sad. I hope there are not too many alumni who think like you. And yes, the Cadets are in danger of becoming relics of an olden age. They held on to that uniform about 10 years too long. I wonder if the reason is he actually does listen to people like you?

You may very well be right. I have no idea how many alumni share my viewpoint, or how many share yours, or how many just don't care. I will tell you one thing for sure though. George doesn't listen to anyone, least of all me. He marches to his own drummer.

I never said that he does not feel an attachment to the corps. I know he does. He's a great teacher, especially with young people in the age range of the current Cadets.

There is a history night during spring camp every year conducted by a fellow alumnus, Scotty McGarry. He does a great job, and as you mentioned, the kids love hearing about and seeing the corps of the past. I have never heard of an initiation night, until you just mentioned it.

From that point on I guess we part ways. You have your viewpoint and I have mine. After 83 years of history and thousands of alumni there are probably more differing viewpoints than we could absorb. FYI, I have never stopped supporting our marching Cadets. I respond to their "Fund-Me" pleas as much as I'm able, and I send boxes of supplies to individual Cadets who request them during their tour. My strong support for our major traditions and our time-honored uniforms has nothing to do with me personally. It's all about the kids...it always has been. I don't want them to be denied the opportunity to enjoy everything that we enjoyed as Cadets, including the adoration of the fans and our fellow competitors; not always because of our performance, but always simply because we were who we were and what we represented.

Dave, I thought I might add my .02 to your reply!

What I KNOW about my Cadets: Duty, Honor, Country.

I am a Garfield, Born and raised Garfield Cadet.......a Hudson St Boy, so I was lullabied to sleep by the 1948,49 & 50 National Champions, grew up across the street from the practice field there and played and marched alongside all the corps from the day I could walk, to the day that Aunt Nell fitted me for uniform #32 that I wore for some 6 years. My father and his brothers while never Cadets knew all the original founders, went to High School with most of them and played on the same Holy Name Basketball League as them(Still have his maroon HNC Game Jersey).

I was the California connection that brought Johnny Baumps back into the Cadet Alumni and was so fortunate to have those long Sunday afternoon discussions with him about the Corps earliest days. In those I learned that John did NOT have a father growing up, but that the Instructors and Corps Managers saw that and gave him that structure that they saw as missing in his life. That sense of responsibility soon grew throughout the ranks and became even more prevalent after the War years and was there when I marched in the 60's, thanks to men like Bill Kemmerer, Eddie Kwasnik and Jimmy D'Amico.

So while "Mission Statements" were not there in 1934, the intent WAS, and it was:

......to provide a highly structured environment in which young men(and later women) can develop the Character of Duty, accept responsibility for their actions in life, co-operate with their fellow Cadets to achieve their common goals and to honor their Parents, Instructors and Country.................

..........the music and the marching was nothing more than a simple "tool" in helping to achieve those means. and IF that EVER changes, then the entire reason for this organization to even exist has been undermined to the detriment of human society and no longer deserves the support of its base. Folks, it's NOT ABOUT "PUTTING ON A SHOW" like Mickey Rooney. It's about Life lessons.

This organization and it's "outdated traditions" of Duty, Honor, Country have been linked to West Point's Traditions by that uniform since 1937 and to see it be discarded and dishonored is unthinkable to those of us that have worn it and accepted its demands.

......Again, only my "opinion", we've ALL got one!